Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Sandra Harding Student Edition Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart

Whose Science? Whose Science? Whose Knowledge?Whose Knowledge?Sandra HardingSandra Harding

Student EditionStudent Edition

Prepared by:Prepared by:

Dr. Kay PicartDr. Kay Picart

Related WebsitesRelated Websites

http://http://wwww..cddccddc..vtvt..eduedu/feminism/Harding.html/feminism/Harding.html

http://www.http://www.gseisgseis..uclaucla..eduedu/faculty/pages//faculty/pages/hardingharding.html.html

Introductory QuestionsIntroductory Questions

What is “science”?What is “science”? What constitutes What constitutes ““knowledge”?knowledge”?

Introductory QuestionsIntroductory Questions What does the term What does the term

“feminist” mean?“feminist” mean? Do “feminism”/s Do “feminism”/s

and critiques of and critiques of culture or politics culture or politics have anything to have anything to contribute to contribute to discussions discussions concerning the concerning the epistemology and epistemology and ethics of science?ethics of science?

Key Themes: Fill in the Key Themes: Fill in the blank.blank.

““Feminist analyses Feminist analyses of science, technologyof science, technology and knowledge are and knowledge are not ____lithic. not ____lithic. There is no single set There is no single set of claims beyond a of claims beyond a few generalities that couldfew generalities that could be called ‘feminism’ without be called ‘feminism’ without controversy among feminists.” (6)controversy among feminists.” (6)

Key Themes: Fill in the Key Themes: Fill in the blanksblanks

““Science is p_______ by other Science is p_______ by other means, and it also generates means, and it also generates reliable information about the reliable information about the empirical world. Science is more empirical world. Science is more than politics, of course, but it is than politics, of course, but it is that.” (10)that.” (10)


““Science contains Science contains both progressive and both progressive and r_______ tendencies. r_______ tendencies. So does feminism.” So does feminism.” (10)(10)


““The same can be said of feminism. The same can be said of feminism. It too contains both It too contains both progressive and progressive and regressive tendencies. regressive tendencies. It is not usefully It is not usefully conceptualized without qualification asconceptualized without qualification as inherently good--and of course no oneinherently good--and of course no one characterizes it as value-n______ . . .” characterizes it as value-n______ . . .”

(10-11)(10-11)


““The observer and The observer and observed are in theobserved are in the same causal plane . . . same causal plane . . . Neither knowers nor Neither knowers nor the knowledge they the knowledge they produce are or could be produce are or could be impartial, dis____________, value-neutral, impartial, dis____________, value-neutral,

Archimedean . . .” (11)Archimedean . . .” (11)


““We cannot ‘strip nature bare’ to We cannot ‘strip nature bare’ to ‘reveal her s______,’ as conventional ‘reveal her s______,’ as conventional views have held, no matter how long views have held, no matter how long the striptease continues or how the striptease continues or how rigorous its choreography, we will rigorous its choreography, we will always find under each ‘veil’ only always find under each ‘veil’ only nature-as-conceptualized-within-nature-as-conceptualized-within-cultural-projects; we will always (but cultural-projects; we will always (but not only) find more veils. . .” (12)not only) find more veils. . .” (12)


““It is necessary to decenter w_____,It is necessary to decenter w_____, m______-class, h_____sexual, m______-class, h_____sexual, Western women in Western women in Western feminist Western feminist thought and yet still thought and yet still generate feminist generate feminist analyses from the analyses from the perspective of women’s lives. . .” (13)perspective of women’s lives. . .” (13)

Key Themes:Key Themes:

“ “ . . . Gender is fundamentally a . . . Gender is fundamentally a r_______, not a thing . . . As Judith r_______, not a thing . . . As Judith Butler argues, gender is not an Butler argues, gender is not an ‘interior state’ but a p__________ ‘interior state’ but a p__________ that each of acts and reenacts that each of acts and reenacts daily. . .” (13)daily. . .” (13)


““Gender relations in any particular Gender relations in any particular historical situation are always historical situation are always constructed by the entire array of constructed by the entire array of h___________ social relations in which h___________ social relations in which ‘man’ or ‘woman’ participates. The ‘man’ or ‘woman’ participates. The forms of femininity prescribed for forms of femininity prescribed for the plantation owner’s wife was the plantation owner’s wife was exactly what was forbidden for the exactly what was forbidden for the black slave woman. . .” (14)black slave woman. . .” (14)


““The n_______ sciences are The n_______ sciences are illuminatingly conceptualized as illuminatingly conceptualized as part of the s_____ sciences. What part of the s_____ sciences. What kind of theoretical framework will kind of theoretical framework will enable us to understand sciences-enable us to understand sciences-in-society and the consequent in-society and the consequent society-in-sciences?”society-in-sciences?”

Key Discussion QuestionKey Discussion Question

Why is “Physics” Why is “Physics” a bad model for a bad model for physics?physics?

Guide Questions for Next Guide Questions for Next MeetingMeeting

Why does Minh-ha entitle her Why does Minh-ha entitle her essay “Outside in, Inside Out”?essay “Outside in, Inside Out”?

In what ways do Minh-ha’s In what ways do Minh-ha’s documentary films problematize documentary films problematize the politics of the gaze in the politics of the gaze in contemporary film-making?contemporary film-making?

Documents

Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Sandra Harding Student Edition Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart